Hand tool



June 30, 1925 W. A BERNARD HAND TOOL Filed Jam, 27, 1921 Patented June 30, 1925.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.-

WILLIAM A. BERNARD, OF HAVEN, CONNECTICUT, ASSIGNOR TO THE'WILLIAM SCHOLLHOBN COMPANY, OF NEW HAVEN, CONNECTICUT.

HAND TOOL.

Application filed January 27, 1921; Serial No. 440,383.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, 'WILLIAM A. BERNARD,

a citizen of the United :States,'residing in New Haven, county of New Haven, State of Connecticut, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Hand Tools, of which. the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

This invention relates to handtools, and more particularly to a hand tool of the plier or lever handle type which is particularly adapted to be used as a fruit clipper designed for cutting hand picked fruit, such as oranges, from the trees. .i.

A general object of thexinvention is the provision of" a simple, convenient 'and'ef; fic ient tool for this purpose, that is particularly rigid in construction and by means of which the fruit may be clipped: closely with very little, or no stem projection, although it will be understood that certain features of the invention are useful designed for other purposes.

A morespecific object of my invention is to provide an improved hand tool wherein the pivoted jaws are so connected that they will be caused to meet evenly and squarely and .will always be kept in alignment with each'other. j I

'Anotherobject of the invention is to, provide an improved'means for determining the point longitudinally of the cutting edges,

at whichthe cutting action shall take place and forlimiting the opening movement of thelever handles. g

A still further object of vtheinv'ention is the provision of a simple and efficient method of holding the jaws ofthe tool in closedposition so that it mayfreadily be carried in the, pocket of theuser, with the occupation of a minimumamount of space, and also the provision'ofvarious other feaof the tool and to render it more convenient in operation. V L

To these and other ends the invention convsists in the novel features and" combinations of parts to 'be hereinafter in tools will remain. I tures which'serve to increase the usefulness Fig. 2'is a side elevation of the saine, showing the jaws in closed position;

F 1g. 3 is a view from the opposite side,

showing the jaws in open position and the lever handles in section;

Flg. 4 1s a sectional view on line 44 of i Fig. 3 and Fig. 5 is a detailed view of the stop used in connection with the movable jaws.

My improved tool consists of the two lever handles 10 and 11, which are preferably, constructed of sheet metal. fThese levers are U-shaped in cross section, the

rounded portion of the U being disposed on the outward side'so that 'a good grip on the levers may be obtained. The levers are provided at their forward ends with forked tended to form the jaws 15 and 16 respectively, which are cup -shaped,'as shown in Figs.y1, 3 and'e, and which constitute the cutting jaws of the. tool. The lever handles 10 and ll'are'provided with guards 17 and 18, which, as shown, may be struck fup from the material forming thelever handle and will serve to assist the operator in maintaining hisv grip on the tool. These guards, as shownywill ,allow the fingers of the operator to approach closely adjacent the cutting edges of the jaws so that he will be able to grip the tool close to the working parts of the same. The shape of the jaws '15yand 16 will, as shown in Fig. 1, enable the operator to effect a close clip'on the fruit so that no'stem at all, or a very short stem,

' The lever handles are pivoted together by being perforated and apivot pin 19 passed through these perforations. The pin 19 may be threaded and receive a nut 19' which will maintain the lever handlesin operative position. I

A stop 20, as shown in Fig. 5,'is provided, consisting of a body portion 21, a stop portion 22, which is shaped to conform to the shape ofthe jaws 15 and 16, and which is lever handles inopen position;

in this way will serve-to determine the point lengthwise of the jaws at which the cutting action will take place. This stop is perforated at 24 for therece ptionof the -pivot pin 19 and'is also provi ed with two upstanding lugs23 which, when the stop is operatively mounted uponthe pin 19, will be in position to engage the shoulders 15 and 16 upon the jaws I15 and 1.6 and serve to limit the spreadingmovement of the same. Aspacing collar 25. is mounted upon the pin 19, as shown in Fig. 4, the upper edge of which abuts the stop 20and. maintains it in position upon the pin 19, closely, adjacent the cutting jaws, A spiral spring 26 is wound aboutthe collar 25., having its ends extended to bear against the lever handles 10 and ll, This spring is so tensionedt that these extendedends 27 will tend to retainthe The lever handles are. provided also with perforations 29,Vthrougl1 which a loop 30:of 3

flexible material may be passed, which loop 7 will be adapted to receive the finger of. the

operator so that all danger of the tool being i droppedwill be obviated; The lever-handles are provided also with a hook 31, wh1ch',1n the embodiment shown, consists of a wire, bent spread andprojecting in a lateral direction through perforations 33 in one of the lever handles. Theother lever handle is provided ceives the free end of the hook to maintain th two lever handles in closed position, as shown in Fig. 2. VVhen the tool is in this position, as shown, it maybe conveniently carried in the pocket of the operatorwhere it-will occupy a minimum of space and .where it can besafely carried without danger of the two arms becoming loose and: being 1 spreadapart by the action of. the spring 26.

From the foregoingdescription it will be seen that I'have provided a very sim 1e and efiiclent tool of this type, by means o,--.-which fruit, such as oranges or the like, may be closely clipped, the cutting operation always taking place at the point of the jaws which is determined by thestop member 20. When the improved tool is used. for gathering oranges, for example, the tool, while the jaws are maintained in open position by the spring, has its cutters thrust over the fruit istemas far as will be permitted byv the stop .m mber- The lever handles. are then closed togetherend the stem will be clipped off .by the cutt ng edges. When the leverhandles' are rel ased y the operator and allowed run past eachzother, by the provision of the box oint of the forked portions of the lever arms. The provision of the boxjoint or the spacing of the forked portions of one ofthe leverhandles so that they will embrace the forked portions of the other lever handle at the pivotal joint thereof will forman extremely strong joint, which, when the cutting J ws are formed as extensions of; the

forked portions of'the handles, willbe an important factor in-maintaining thesejaws in the proper relation to each other as the outer forked portions of one of the lever handles will retain the inner forkedportions .of the other lever handle against movement along the pivot pin 19 in either direction,

jWhen the pin 19 is removed the parts of. the: toolmay be dis-assembled so that the jaws may be sharpened or any part renewed if desired andthe parts then re-assembled'in a. very sun ,le manner.

While I ave shown lndadescribed apre- 1 ferred embodiment of my invention, it is to be understood that the. same is not limited to the exact forms shownin all of its details, but that various modifications and vanations-are possible which willcfall within the spirit of the invention and the scope of theappended claims y with a cooperating opening 34, which :re-

object between the jaws and having means opening movement of V thereon to limit the 2, A fruit clipper comprising a pairof pivoted. lever members, two cooperating ws operatedthereby, anda single means Qto limit the opening movement of the lever embers and tolimitl the insertionof an ob ect'between the jaws, a

3.,Aafruit clipper comprising a pain er aws operated thereby and commonly pivo ted means to limit the inserti of an ob ect between the jaws and having means thereon to limit the opening movement of the handles.

ivoted lever members. two cooperating 4. In a fruit clipper, a pair of pivoted lever members, two cooperating aws open ated thereby, and a stop member commonly pivoted with the lever members acting against said lever members to limit the opening movement thereof.

5. In a fruit clipper, a pair of pivoted lever members, two cooperating jaws operated thereby, and means commonly pivoted with the lever members and acting against same to limit the opening movement thereof, and extending over said jaws to limit the insertion of an object between the jaws.

6. In a fruit clipper, a pair of lever members, two cup-shaped jaws operated thereby and a cup shaped stop member adapted to limit the insertion of an object therebetween.

7. In a hand tool, a pair of cooperating jaws pivoted together, a pair of lever members to operate the same, lever pivoting means and a stop associated with said jaws and pivoted between portions of the lever member by said lever pivoting means.

8. In a hand tool, two cooperating jaws, a pair of lever members to operate said jaws, a pin on which said levers are pivoted, a stop member, and a collar on said pin to position said stop member closely adjacent the inner surface of said jaws.

9. In a hand tool, two cooperating jaws, a pair of lever members, a pin on whlch said levers are plvoted, a stop member, a

collar mounted on said pin to position said stop member adjacent the cooperating jaws and a spring coiled about saidcollar acting against the lever members to spread the same.

10. In a hand tool, two cooperating jaws, a pair of lever members to operate the jaws, having forward forked portions, and a stop for determining the point longitudinally of the jaws at which the cutting action takes place, said stop being mounted between the said forward forked portions of the levers.

11. In a hand tool, a pair of pivoted lever members, said members being U-shaped in cross section a part of the metal at one end of each of said members being struck up from the bottom of the U to provide for ward forked ends on said members, and said struck up portio-nbeing bent backward to form guards on said members.

12. A hand tool comprising crossed mem bers pivoted together, said members having handle portions and jaw portions on opposite sides of the pivotal joint and a stop member straddling said members at the joint thereof to limit the opening movement of said members.

13. In a hand tool, a pair of cooperating jaws pivoted together, a pair of handles for operating the same and a stop member having a portion thereof extending over said jaws and another portion straddling the joint thereof, said first mentioned portion limiting the insertion of an article between said jaws, said second mentioned portion limiting the opening movement of said jaws.

14. In a hand tool, a lever handle U-shaped in cross section, one end of said handle being bifurcated by forcing outward and backward the connecting metal between the legs of the U, thereby forming a guard integral with said handle from the material so forced out.

In witness whereof, I have hereunto set my hand on the 22nd day of January 1921.

WILLIAM A. BERNARD. 

